Let Danielle Marshall and her team at Powell's Books — folks who know books inside out — give you a heads up on what's great and what's popular in young adult literature. These recommendations are sure to grab your tween's interest this summer.

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The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex (Hyperion, 2007). When 12-year-old Gratuity ("Tip") Tucci is asked by her teachers to write about "The True Meaning of Smekday," she's not sure where to begin. How about when her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Or maybe Christmas Eve, when spaceships descended on Earth and aliens abducted her mother? Or what about the time those aliens declared Earth a colony, renaming it "Smekland" and forcing all Americans to relocate to Florida? Adam Rex has written a hilarious satire on modern society and there are more laugh-out-loud (that's LOL if you're a tween) moments than any adult novel I have read in quite a while. An outrageous plan to save the Earth from another alien invasion emerges in this apocalyptic comedy and we're along for the ride. Full of Rex's "photos," drawings and newspaper clippings, this is a side-splitting and very sharp novel that may be the hit of your child's summer reading list. 432 pages.

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan (HarperTrophy, 2006). Thirteen-year-old Rachel Sheridan is living in British East Africa in 1918 when she loses her British missionary parents to influenza. She is taken in by unscrupulous neighbors who cook up a plot to send Rachel, because of her likeness to their deceased daughter, back to England to collect an inheritance from an ailing relative. The post-WWI setting in Africa, the animals and the Masai people are what make Whelan's story come to life. Readers will root for Rachel as she bonds with the grandfather she was sent to dupe and as she triumphs over evil. National Book Award-winning author Whelan has penned a rich historical coming-of-age adventure. 194 pages.

Totally Joe by James Howe (Aladdin, 2007). The topic of sexual orientation seems to be reaching into ever-lower grade levels these days; this book is a perfect jumping-off point for discussion. With a deft hand, Howe intertwines the subject of "coming out" into Joe's struggles with common adolescent issues, creating a wonderful story about self-discovery. Joe's teacher asks his seventh-grade class to write an "alpha-biography" throughout the year, presenting themselves from A to Z. Joe's essays begin and end with friends; from Addie, a long-time pal and confidant, to Zachary, a new student who, like Joe, has a unique approach to life. It's a hip tale of what it means to discover who you are in your community, in your family and within yourself. Highly recommended. 208 pages.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse, 2005). Tally Youngblood lives in a society that calls its inhabitants "uglies" until, at age 16, they are surgically altered to become "pretties." Just before Tally's upcoming transformation, she meets Shay, another female ugly, with whom she has a lot in common. But Shay is a conscientious objector and doesn't believe in the brainwashing to which they have been subjected. When Shay runs away to a colony of dissenters, Tally is forced by an evil doctor to find Shay or remain forever "ugly." As so many of the finest novels do, Uglies will provoke thought and discussion on many topics, not the least of which is self-awareness and courage. Westerfeld's exciting story engages even the most cynical readers, with his futuristic sci-fi tale of a dystopian society. 448 pages.

Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams (Chicken House, 2008). Initially called the next Harry Potter, this wonderful adventure stands well enough on its own. Fourteen-year-old Will Burrows has a passion for archeological digging with his father in the abandoned train tunnels and underground shafts around their home in Highfield, England. When Will's father disappears, Will suspects that his father may be in danger connected with some secret excavation. Tunnels reveals a secret subterranean culture that is hostile to "Topsoilers." This a superb fantasy story with danger, intrigue and alternate worlds that will ignite your child's imagination. A sequel, Deeper, was released this month in the UK, and will arrive in the U.S. this fall. 480 pages.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Laurel-Leaf Books, 2004). When Stargirl — as she currently calls herself — arrives at Mica High, she is unlike anyone else. She was home-schooled until she was 15, wears pioneer dresses, sings Happy Birthday to students in the lunchroom while strumming a ukulele and carries her pet rat around school. At first the students stare and whisper, then assimilate her to their peer groups when they consider her entertaining. Eventually, however, everyone begins to shun her for her differences. Her boyfriend Leo experiences first hand the perils of true nonconformity and finds he can't endure the pressures of being different. Although Spinelli's Stargirl character may be an exaggeration, the essence of his story rings perfectly true and will encourage readers to give some thought to tolerance and the price of popularity. 186 pages.

Our young adult book recommendations come from Danielle Marshall and the Kids' Team at Powell's Books. From a storefront in 1971 in Portland, Oregon, this independent, family-owned bookstore has grown into a mecca for book lovers with six locations in the Portland area and an award-winning Web site.

June 2008